We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Etereo ("Etereo").
Etereo is an award-winning designer that helps make the World a better place with their original and innovative creations and advanced design works.
Etereo Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Etereo.
Etereo Design - Adore Repackaging Sanitary Pads
Designer Interview of Etereo:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
Etereo : I have been with Etereo for 5 years and I started out as a Marketing Executive. Etereo gave me the opportunity to grow and lead projects, right from conceptualisation to execution. As a business student for 6 years, I always find joy and passion in creative media and arts instead of business theories. I love to draw and found myself spending more and more time on design art software, creating designs during my free time. And that was the time, I know that Design will be the right choice for me to pursue in my career.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Etereo : We are a creative agency based in Singapore that creates thoughtful designs that are expressive and bold. We curate visionary identities across multiple touchpoints as we strongly believe in consistency. We are a dynamic team that is never satisfied with just the norm. We take pride in every design and we love to uncover potentials and new possibilities with the brands that we work with.
DI: What is "design" for you?
Etereo : Design gives context to everything, it is an art that is sustainably meaningful.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
Etereo : Brand assets such as logo, colour, typography, packaging design and of course websites.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
Etereo : We do not have a favourite design and we find that every design is unique in her own ways. But we do take extra note and appreciation on designs that are sustainable and bring out the message and stories behind them without being too complicated.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
Etereo : Logo and it was for an optical brand.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
Etereo : Behance and Dribble! It showcases the different designs designers around the world have! It is heartwarming to see designers who are proud of their work and presenting them to the larger community!
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
Etereo : When a new project starts!
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
Etereo : The functional aspect will be the main focus after the initial idea is born. A design can be the most unique and beautiful outline. However, if it is not practical and fails to be implemented, we will consider it as just an idea that is not conceptualised.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
Etereo : Excited. Excited to explore and create the design that will bring out the personality behind it and how the design will fit into the business model of the client.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
Etereo : A great sense of achievement and feeling light! It’s relaxing and you know for sure, you will have a good sleep that night.
DI: What makes a design successful?
Etereo : The elements come together, complementing each other and this makes a successful design.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
Etereo : The intention of the design, if the design meets the intended purpose then it is a good design.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
Etereo : Do not copy and do not be stingy in giving praises. Have a sense of ownership and pride in creating your own design. It’s fine to complement a great design and is definitely a great motivation for fellow designers.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
Etereo : Design will take on more adaption as we can see content is demanded at an alarming speed. Designs need to be adaptable without losing consistency.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
Etereo : We have never held one and there are no plans for this.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
Etereo : From things we see, we touch and we experience every day. We will pay attention to great designs, be it a sign, a plant or an online post. They have their ways to inspire us.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
Etereo : Versatile. There is no fixed style in etereo! We believe in creating unique sustainable designs for each project based on the project scope. We make it a point to always communicate with the client to better understand their needs and the problems they faced throughout the project. We make sure that our designs solve their problems, not just being aesthetically pleasing!
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
Etereo : We live in Singapore and working in a metropolitan country, we are exposed to a rich variety of culture. Local companies are paying more attention to their brand identities but they are pretty reluctant to have a total change in their concept. To overcome this challenge, we have to prepare our clients of the intended change and the effects after the change to ensure a smooth transition.
DI: How do you work with companies?
Etereo : We will work very closely together with our clients as they know their industries and processes better than us. This is also how we can get constant feedback from our clients during the process. This working relationship also helps our clients to know us better and the thought process behind the design.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
Etereo : Attitude! A good attitude towards creating a good design is critical. You can have the passion but without perseverance, passion will not lead you to the end result. A never give up attitude is the one that gives birth to great designs!
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
Etereo : Research first, to do research on the project direction, the design concept and also the solutions for each project. With the concept and direction finalised, Sketching is the foundation of all design work. After finalising the sketches, we will then use design software to enhance it and improve it along the way with discussions with clients.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
Etereo : Dining chair,sofa, kitchenware, coffee table and lights.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
Etereo : Other than Designing, having ample me-time is extremely important! Self-care is very important to one's mental health, and you can’t have enough creativity juice flowing without enough rest!
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Etereo : Be humble and learn from doing, not afraid to take hardships and run away reality. You only learn if you start doing and not by thinking. Next, be sincere to take in feedback and ask for opinions, digest and learn from them. Sincere in admitting mistakes and grow from there.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
Etereo : We get to do the things that we love as a career, which makes work and life enjoyable. The only bad thing is inspirations sometimes come at unpredicted time and it gets challenging while working on an urgent project. There are no rules and formulas to follow for design work.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
Etereo : You never try, you’ll never know!
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
Etereo : Communication and Creativity. A designer must be able to communicate his/her design to the target audience.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
Etereo : Sketchbook is a must for all designs. Adobe Creative Suite, sometimes Wacom and of course, Photoshoot equipment.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
Etereo : I have a scheduler in place to prioritize and organise all design taskings. Time management is a very important skill for all designers. I will always make it a point to allocate at least 3 hours of me-time daily for yourself.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
Etereo : “What if we do not like your end design?”
DI: What was your most important job experience?
Etereo : Human interaction is the most important, the ability to understand where the client is thinking and expectation takes skills and time to discover.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
Etereo : Our clientele covers a wide range of industries. From Universities, Fashion brands, Bakeries, Restaurants, Florists, Engineering companies, Manufacturing brands.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
Etereo : Packaging design, it just completes the whole design process.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
Etereo : Continue giving great designs for sure!
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
Etereo : Team. We always brainstorm our ideas for a project and discuss the enhancements of a design together. Different people see designs differently, opening yourself to different perspectives allow you to look at your design from different angles! Sometimes the best design idea comes from our discussion!
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
Etereo : We are currently working on a local fashion and a medical brand. There’re a lot of opportunities for these two projects and the brand owners have high expectations of us. This challenge makes us more eager to work with them.
DI: How can people contact you?
Etereo : You may visit our website at www.etereomedia.com !